Sonic Redesign Conspiracy

photo by Jessica Galvin

When the trailer for Jeff Fowler’s Sonic the Hedgehog came out in April, the community had a cacophonous seizure of a reaction to the appearance of its namesake. With his jointed limbs, odd proportions and overly human facial features, he fit right into the uncanny valley. This unsettling version of Sonic featured wide-set eyes and creepy white hands instead of gloves.

The creators soon realized that the negative media attention and medical lawsuits of diehard fans was proof they needed to change course. After facing devastating reviews and heavy criticism over the character model, Paramount Pictures announced that they would redesign the eponymous character. 

Originally planned to come out in November, the use of a completely different character model postponed the release date to February of next year. In November the producers released the new, better trailer for the world's favorite blue hedgehog. It showed a cuter, more cartoony version of the lovable speed demon, which was more faithful to his video game appearance. The fans were happy with the new Sonic and the directors learned a valuable lesson about staying true to their audience…. Or did they?

There are rumors that the movie was lagging behind in progress and the trailer was designed to disturb the fanbase and cause an outrage. This way, they would have more time to complete the movie and gain points for changing the design. Is this the reality of the situation? I won’t tell you what to think, but it certainly seems convenient.